Method and system for modeling data

Abstract

A method and system for processing data are described. In one embodiment, a constraint-based configuration file is generated from a pre-defined data configuration domain at a server. In addition, the constraint-based configuration file is mapped into a plurality of display pages at a client, and a page of the plurality of display pages is updated directly from the constraint-based configuration file.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method of processing data comprising: 
       reading at least one constraint-based configuration file;  
       processing the at least one constraint-hased configuration file into an interactive decision map file;  
       creating an index of visual information for the decision map file;  
       mapping the at least one constraint-based configuration file into a plurality of display pages; and  
       updating a page of the plurality of display pages directly from the at least one constraint-based configuration file.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
       updating at least one selection based upon at least one user input to provide visual feedback to enable a user to discern between valid and invalid selection options.  
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
       displaying a page of the plurality of pages using a graphical user interface (GUI).  
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least one constraint-based configuration file is received in a compressed format. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein mapping is performed on a compressed at least one constraint-based configuration file. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the constraint-based configuration file is an array of truth tables. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the constraint-based configuration file contains only valid data combinations. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mapping is performed by creating an index of information for the constraint-based configuration file. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mapping and updating are performed at a client. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising updating at least one selection based upon at least one user input to provide visual feedback to enable a user to discern between valid and invalid selection options. 
     
     
       11. A method of processing data comprising: 
       generating at least one constraint-based configuration file from at least one predefined data configuration domain at a server;  
       mapping the at least one constraint-based configuration file into a plurality of display pages at a client;  
       updating a page of the plurality of display pages directly from the at least one constraint-based configuration file; and  
       updating at least one selection based upon at least one user input to provide visual feedback to enable a user to discern between valid and invalid selection options.  
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
       displaying a page of the plurality of pages using a graphical user interface (GUI).  
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
       defining at least one data configuration domain.  
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13  wherein defining further comprises: 
       entering configuration domain relations; and  
       defining GUI tags for the configuration domain relations.  
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13  wherein defining further comprises modeling the data configuration domain into an extended markup language (XML) configuration file. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11  wherein generating further comprises: 
       combining user interface definition tags, the configuration domain and relation definitions; and  
       compiling the combined data.  
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
       compressing the at least one constraint-based configuration file.  
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11  wherein mapping is performed on a compressed at least one constraint-based configuration file. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 11  wherein generating further comprises compiling product components into an interactive decision map. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein the interactive decision map is an array of truth tables. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 11  wherein the constraint-based configuration file contains only valid data combinations. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 11  wherein mapping further comprises: 
       reading the at least one constraint-based configuration file;  
       processing the at least one constraint-based configuration file into an interactive decision map file; and  
       creating an index of visual information for the decision map file.  
     
     
       23. A system for processing data comprising: 
       means for generating at least one constraint-based configuration file from at least one pre-defined data configuration domain at a server;  
       means for mapping the at least one constraint-based configuration file into a plurality of display pages at a client;  
       means for updating a page of the plurality of display pages directly from the at least one constraint-based configuration file; and  
       means for updating at least one selection based upon at least one user input to provide visual feedback to enable a user to discern between valid and invalid selection options.  
     
     
       24. A system for processing data comprising: 
       means for reading at least one constraint-based configuration file.  
       means for processing the at least one constraint-based configuration file into an interactive decision map file;  
       means for creating an index of visual information for the decision map file;  
       means for mapping from the at least one constraint-based configuration file into a plurality of display pages; and  
       means for updating a page of the plurality of display pages directly from the at least one constraint-based configuration file.  
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 24 , wherein the mapping is performed by creating an index of information for the constraint-based configuration file. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 24 , wherein the mapping and updating are performed at a client. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 24 , further comprising means for updating at least one selection based upon at least one user input to provide visual feedback to enable a user to discern between valid and invalid selection options. 
     
     
       28. An article of manufacture including one or more computer-readable media with executable instructions therein, which, when executed by a processing device causes the processing device to: 
       generate at least one constraint-based configuration file from at least one predefined data configuration domain;  
       map the at least one constraint-based configuration file into a plurality of display pages at a client;  
       update a page of the plurality of display pages directly from the at least one constraint-based configuration file; and  
       update at least one selection based upon at least one user input to provide visual feedback to enable a user to discern between valid and invalid selection options.  
     
     
       29. An article of manufacture including one or more computer-readable media with executable instructions therein, which, when executed by a processing device causes the processing device to: 
       read at least one constraint-based configuration file;  
       process the at least one constraint-based configuration file into an interactive decision map file;  
       create an index of visual information for the decision map file;  
       map the at least one constraint-based configuration file into a plurality of display pages; and  
       update a page of the plurality of display pages directly from the at least one constraint-based configuration file.  
     
     
       30. The article of  claim 29 , wherein the mapping is performed by creating an index of information for the constraint-based configuration file. 
     
     
       31. The article of  claim 29 , wherein the mapping and updating are performed at a client. 
     
     
       32. The article of  claim 29 , further causes the processing device to update at least one selection based upon at least one user input to provide visual feedback to enable a user to discern between valid and invalid selection options. 
     
     
       33. A system for processing data comprising: 
       a compiler to generate at least one constraint-based configuration file from the at least one data configuration domain;  
       a browser to receive the at least one constraint-based configuration file at a client; and  
       an applet to map the at least one constraint-based configuration file into a plurality of display pages at the client, to update a page of the plurality of display pages directly from the received at least one constraint-based configuration file, and to update at least one selection based upon at least one user input to provide visual feedback to enable a user to discern between valid and invalid selection options.  
     
     
       34. The system of  claim 33 , further comprising: 
       a modeler to define the at least one data configuration domain.  
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 34  wherein the modeler further compresses the at least one constraint-based configuration file. 
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 34  wherein the modeler further: 
       enters configuration domain relations; and  
       defines GUI relations for the configuration domain relations.  
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 34  wherein the modeler further models the data configuration domain into an extended markup language (XML) configuration file. 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 33  further comprising: 
       an application programming interface (API) to display a page of the plurality of pages using a graphical user interface (GUI).  
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 33  wherein the compiler further: 
       combines user interface definition tags, the configuration domain, and relation definitions; and  
       compiles the combined data.  
     
     
       40. The system of  claim 33  wherein the applet maps the plurality of pages on a compressed at least one constraint-based configuration file. 
     
     
       41. The system of  claim 33  wherein the compiler compiles product components into an interactive decision map. 
     
     
       42. The system of  claim 41  wherein the interactive decision map is an array of truth tables. 
     
     
       43. The system of  claim 33  wherein the constraint-based configuration file contains only valid data combinations. 
     
     
       44. The system of  claim 33  wherein the applet further: 
       reads the at least one constraint-based configuration file;  
       processes the at least one constraint-based configuration file into an interactive decision map file; and  
       creates an index of visual information for the decision map file.